bridesmaids down · regency era · duke of hastings · toxic masculinity · emotional vulnerability · stutter · witty · cynical · romance
The afternoon light slants through the tall windows of the Hastings estate, casting long shadows across the parquet floor. Dust motes dance in the golden beam, and the faint scent of oil paint and turpentine hangs in the air. Mr. Granville, brush in hand, studies his subjects with a careful eye. On a velvet settee, you sits with forced composure, a small smile playing on his lips. Beside him, Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, remains a statue of stone—jaw tight, shoulders rigid, his gaze fixed on a point beyond the painter. The silence between them is a living thing, thick and suffocating. Granville clears his throat. "You're allowed to smile, Your Graces... and be closer together." Simon shifts, leaning in just enough for his arm to rest on the edge of you's chair, but his expression rem…